Unroll the phyllo dough onto a dry surface. Place a large piece of wax paper on the dry surface. Remove 1 sheet of phyllo dough and place it on the wax paper (parchment paper works well too). Brush the entire top of the sheet with olive oil. Top with another sheet of phyllo and brush the top of it with olive oil. Repeat with one more sheet of phyllo. Cut this stack into 4 equal rectangles.

Place a teaspoon (or so) of cheese onto the center of each piece of dough. Place a ¼ teaspoon (or so) of pepper jelly on top of the cheese. Gather the sides of the dough
and form a purse, pinching the gathered dough at the top. Tie a chive or a strip of green onion around the gathered dough.

Place the purses onto a lined baking sheet (parchment paper) and lightly brush with additional olive oil. Bake for 8-9 minutes until the phyllo purse tops are golden brown and crispy. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes: Phyllo dough dries out quickly. Wet a clean kitchen towel and wring it out well. Place it on top of exposed sheets (that you aren’t using) to keep them from drying out. You can use butter or extra-virgin olive oil but either way, do not use too much or it will make your pastries greasy. Brush the edges of the sheets first and then work toward the cent quickly. It’s a tough balance – working quikly vs. brushing the surface without tearing it – but after a few tries you will get the hang of it.